B4 - Week 5 - Project Description

For the term project of this course, my group and I have choose to deal with the integration of an existing project (Senior design project of my other two teammates) with BIM. I do not know yet how really the project is because I did not work on it, but Hang Wang wrote a clear description of their senior design project in his post and I will work and spend time on it with them in the next weeks. Since the Senior design team already built a Revit model of their project, the goal of this project will be to define which of the features that Revit, its plug-ins and other software offer can be used to improve the model. One of these possibilities is the structural analysis through other software. We aim to create a new structural model of the building with all the necessary loads combinations. Another one is to make a database where many of the information related to the building are collected, so as all the building components can be found easily in a clear and organized database. Using the structural analysis software and the database, we aim to improve the project and put it in relation with the “design part” of intelligent building. There are many other functions that BIM related software can do, one that is important for me is the energetic consumption analysis and/or the daylight analysis, we did not discussed it yet, but I believe it could be useful for my group mates and their project. These analyses could be done with the help of BIM model importing the model in other software as Dialux or BSim in order to have a realistic idea of the energy consumptions or of the internal environment comfort for the users, before constructing the building.

At the end, as Hang wrote, we are going to analyse the pros and cons of the new BIM design comparing it with the current one. We will write a report for keeping track of what we are doing and we will prepare a final presentation to show our work to the other teams. 

B4 - Week 5 Blog Post - Group B, Price

Intelligent vs. Green Buildings

For our project, we decided to do a comparison between intelligent and green buildings and whether or not it needs to fall into one category to be in the other.  This topic was chosen because both my partner and I found it very interesting and it really requires you to look in depth at the actual meaning of green and intelligent buildings.  The green building process puts its focus into making the project sustainable and not creating a large carbon footprint.  The intelligent building process is mostly focused on being efficient in the early design stages.  This can also be incorporated into the green building early stages, where they seem to differ is the end product.  While green building has an end product that is sustainable, intelligent building is more open ended and can just be very efficient for a certain set of tasks.  Most of the time these tasks incorporate being green and LEED certification but are not limited to a “green” end product and is much more open ended.  Some challenges that will be presented throughout this research is trying not to be very vague or broad about the subject matter.  Research will be conducted in order to find projects that employ intelligent building technologies, but do not in conventional “green” ways such as sensors for lighting/hvac controls.  The overall product of each procedure will be discussed, focusing on the benefits of applying both intelligent and green building processes.  Potentially we could look into two different buildings and see how they differ and/or are similar with one another.  

Comments:

To Dmitry - I like the idea of using this class to assist your team in your senior design project.  Not only will it make your project stand out when you present it in the end, but it will also allow you to explore the programs and add it to your skill-set in the future.

B4 - Project Outline

My term project will be a research paper focusing on the use of 3D printing on project sites. More specifically, I will be researching the use of 3D printing to create custom connections at the project site. The outline to my paper can be found below. I chose to research this topic because I have some familiarity with framing connections from specifying them at work.

• Cover Sheet
• Abstract
• Background
• Purpose
• Design/Method
• Results
• Conclusions
• Brief History of 3D printing
• Advancements in 3D printing
• Reduction in costs for machines
• Different materials, specifically the ability to print metals
• 3D printing on a Project Site
• Creating custom connections for unique situations where a standard connection (from Simpson Strong-Tie for example) may not suit a particular situation. Examples of such situations are:
• Standard connection may not meet capacity requirements
• Potentially print a connection that is very similar to a standard connection, though with a thicker gage to increase its load capacity
• Standard connection may not have the correct geometry for a particular framing design
• Print out a connection to accommodate for unique framing situations
• Contractor did not order enough specific connections and cannot afford to wait for the part to ship or be delivered.
• Printing is currently very slow, so this would be an added benefit with advancements in the future
• Connection companies could create a library of standard connections for contractors to license which allows connection companies to still see a profit off of the evolution of the industry.
• Much like AutoDesk, connection companies could license specific types of connections. For example, it would cost X amount of money to license a library of joist hanger models and Y amount of money to license a library of column cap models.
• This could help aid the creation of unique connections by giving contractors a base model to start with.
• Conclusion

Responses:

Lenny Knittel - The Bullitt Center is a really cool looking building and the fact that it is the only building that is energy neutral will make it a fun topic to research.

Santiago Uribe - The topic of automated home systems is very fitting for the class. Researching both the presents and future advances in the industry should be interesting.

Angelina Castro - Creating a BIM model of a proposed building is definitely going to help learn BIM/Revit in detail. While watching tutorials is great, actually putting together a model will really help learn the program and its capabilities.

B4 - Project Description - Angelina Castro

For this class my term project will be a group project that will integrate the use of BIM into a senior design project. The main senior design project is the design of a autism community center for the organization Jaden's Voice. The building is to be located at the corner of Union Street and Haverford Avenue. For AE 510 we will attempt to create a BIM model of the building encompassing many aspects of the building like building envelope design, HVAC systems, the structural system, architectural design, and a 4D construction time line. I chose this project because although it is not my personal senior design project, I feel as if this would be great learning experience for me to use BIM programs like Revit in a more in depth manner. In addition, this is great opportunity to possibly help with the design of a building that could possibly help benefit those who live with autism. Tee current plan is to have most of the BIM making to be done on Revit, the main systems being the architectural, mechanical, and architectural systems. The Revit model should include things like slab thickness, circulation paths, square footages, beam sizing, column spacing, duct sizing, mechanical equipment placing, etc. We also want to challenge ourselves a little more and try to use any additional Autodesk programs available on the CAD lab computers to create an energy efficiency model and the 4D construction timeline simulation. All the work is currently divided among the total 4 members.

Challenges that we might encounter with this project are time constraints given that we only have 8-9 weeks to complete this task and we have indeed put a good amount of work on our plates. Getting well acquainted with new programs can sometimes take a long time. However there is already an almost complete architectural design created of the building in Revit and this will aid greatly for the design of the other systems which we will be designing in Revit and using other Autodesk programs.

Responses:

Lee: For his project Lee is a beginner to Revit and wants to learn how to use the program. He mentioned that he has prior experience with HVAC systems in AutoCAD. However I was a little unsure what the actual scope of work his project will encompass. If it is to design an HVAC system in a Revit, I think that would be a great thing to learn how to do and would be advantageous to know as well.

Siversten & Lavigne: I find your project both ambitious and really interesting. I have little to no knowledge on how databases work but the creation of databases for things like steel beam sizing is something that could really help engineers in the design process. Being able to cross check the type of steel to the many factors you have listed in your post would help to ensure that the right stype of steel is chosen for the scope and location of the project.

Knittel: I think your topic on the Bullitt Center seems really cool. After reading your description of the building I had to look up the building and it is really architecturally innovative. I find it kind of unfortunate that buildings these days are not normally designed for an expected life of 250 years. I understand that money will always be a factor in how green or innovative a building might be but making steps towards longer life expectancy for buildings would benefit the environment and maintenance costs.

B4: Week 5 - Group B, Lee

Topic: Project

I chose to do a Revit project where I go through tutorials and learn many of features Revit is capable of doing because I wanted to become familiar with the software. As a beginner, I look forward to exploring many features Revit allows users to apply in building modeling. I have had experience with HVAC but only limited to AutoCAD. As a result, I think Revit provides an excellent means of service to AEC industry where it will be critical in leading the companies to employ Intelligent Building more. I want to gain more knowledge in Revit so that I will be more equipped when looking for jobs in this field. Thus, I am motivated to get most out of this project. The challenges I will face during this project are time-consuming research on Revit features and tutorials from old versions. Researching on features of Revit will be laborious as the software has countless features and tools available for different uses. I would have to decide how much I would like to learn and choose several critical features only. In addition, many tutorials I find online are using old versions of Revit. Because of slight differences in interface and tools, I need to find the appropriate features of Revit 2015, which is the software I will be using. Nevertheless, these challenges are certainly achievable and I will be able to overcome these challenges as I get more familiar with Revit throughout the project. 

Comments:
Ilana Ritvalsky
Ilana's project is a research paper on technologies that allow buildings to adapt to different climate changes. It is certainly an interesting aspect of intelligent building. Currently, HVAC and energy efficiency are affected by how building loads vary due to climate changes; however, Ilana will be focusing on how the building's architecture will adapt to the weather changes and that is a very interesting topic. I look forward to seeing what she finds out for this research paper. 

Dmitriy Voznyak
Dmitriy will be using his senior design project to explore how BIM can be incorporated to further advance the design. His project involves working with real world engineers, which is a great way to practice what we learn in school. By seeking what other ways the existing buildings in Philadelphia can benefit from the use of BIM technology, his team is taking important steps as engineers. I would like to see how they use BIM techniques in their project so that I can learn what are good uses of the technology. 

Taylor Castonguay
Taylor's team will look into the uses of 3-D printing with building materials such as concrete. The 3-D printing technology is certainly getting more attention these days as more engineers are looking into utilizing its potential further. According to Taylor, there have been cases where houses are made out of entirely 3-D printed concrete. I am interested in how efficient it is to use 3-D printing for building homes and whether these buildings are as stable and sturdy as the traditional method of construction. 

Project Outline: Ami Amegan, Juno Xiao, Jonathan (Yu-sen) Liu

PROJECT OUTLINE

AE 510 - Intelligent Buildings

Winter 2014-2015

February 3rd, 2014

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston MA

Prepared for:

DREXEL UNIVERSITY

3141 CHESTNUT ST

PHILADELPHIA, PA 19104

Office: (267-251-7851)

Prepared by:

Group Members:     

Ami Amegan (aa997@drexel.edu) 

Yu-Sen Liu (YL568@drexel.edu)

Zilong Xiao (zx42@drexel.edu)

Project Outline:

Our building of interest is the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art) in Boston. It is an art museum and exhibition space located in Boston, Massachusetts. The current facility was built in 2006 and was designed by architects Diller Scofidio and Renfro. It is a 65,000 SF building that features a very dramatic folding ribbon form and a cantilever that extends to the water’s edge. The facade consists of vertical planks that alternate between transparent glass, translucent glass and opaque metal. Galleries are located on the uppermost level, which leads to the provision on a sheltered open space at ground level. Walls are glazed in clear glass allowing the harbor view to become the backdrop behind the stage.

To complete this project, we first have to acquire any necessary information on things such as the overall site plan, square footage, floor plans etc. We have found a research that was conducted on the building and intend to use it as the main resource. In addition, we plan to use any helpful scholarly sources including archives and Wikipedia for general information. While we are expected to use Revit to model our building, it is inevitable to run into problems, therefore we will depend on Autodesk help for any problems we may encounter. Students will also refer to Youtube videos for various tutorials on how to be proficient in Revit Meanwhile putting together a final document, there will be a weekly log describing students’ progress as well as problems, and expected future work for the following week.

  

The final accompanying research paper’s table of content will be as follow:

I- Introduction

II- Building Description

III- Revit Model

IV- Technical Difficulties of model

V- Improvements

VI- Structural and MEP Suggested Models

VII- Conclusion

P2: Week 5 - Lee

Project Outline

• Deliverables
• RVT model
• Sheets
• 3D views
• Schedules
• Final evaluation paper
• Resources to use
• Tutorial 1
• Tutorial 2
• Possibly more.. 
• Description of planned building (Optional)
• In addition to going through tutorials, I may try to make Revit model of a Drexel building
• Making a model on my own will be optional depending on how much I can apply what I learned to a Drexel building model 
• Timeline
• Week 5: Outline/Plan due
• Week 6: Start on Revit with logging each time
• Week 7: Draft due (at least 3/4 of project done)
• Week 8: Finish the project
• Week 9: Final deliverables due
• Logging
• Each time I use Revit for this project, I will be logging the process
• Amount of time spent
• The challenges I faced
• What can be improved in Revit
• Table of Contents of final descriptive document 
• Introduction
• Procedure
• The steps I followed on tutorial
• The challenges I faced
• Summary of the building features
• Results
• Screenshots of the model and sheets
• Conclusion
• My experience with Revit
• What can be improved

P2 - Project Outline - Schwakoff

For my project I am doing a research report on Automatic Fault Detection and Diagnosis (AFDD) of HVAC systems. I created my outline in actual outline form rather than writing it out in paragraphs. I find this easier to put together and organize thoughts in preparation of writing a report. Depending on length/time availability I may expand a bit more on its adoption and influence on other "smart" building technologies.

1.       Buildings consume a large amount of energy in the U.S. (get an estimate from reliable source)

a.       HVAC equipment use a lot of this energy consumed in buildings

                                                   i.      These systems are usually not operating as they are designed

                                                 ii.      There are usually faults in the system and/or logic that are leading to a lot of wasted energy

                                                iii.      Examples of faults/poor logic include:

1.       Simultaneous heating and cooling

2.       Dampers stuck open/shut/somewhere in between

3.       Heating/cooling coil valves leaking

2.       There have been large efforts to develop tools to detect these faults – Automatic Fault Detection and Diagnosis (AFDD)

a.       Advantages

                                                   i.      Can save a lot of energy and thus money over time

                                                 ii.      Can detect problems before “serious” damage occurs

                                                iii.      Saves money and time avoiding technicians having to come out

                                               iv.      Reduces complaints building operator has to deal with

b.      There are different fault detection methods

                                                   i.      Physical modeling – detailed modeling of the system

1.       Should in theory be the most accurate

2.       Impractical though because each system would have to be custom modeled

                                                 ii.      Ruled-based – rules developed as to how something should work by rules of thermodynamics and in relation to other components in the system

1.       Most widely adopted/used commercially

2.       Not the most accurate

3.       A lot of false alarms are usually generated

4.       Rules have to be set up specific to the system

5.       Give an example of rule-based method

                                                iii.      Data-driven – uses statistical approaches using data already collected from system

1.       Plug-and-play technique

2.       Probably the most promising

3.       Fewer false alarms

4.       Give an example to contrast this and rule-based methods

c.       Passive monitoring vs active diagnosis

3.       Commercialization and growth

a.       Buildings already collect vast amounts of data

                                                   i.      Most of this data is not being utilized

b.      Buildings are being equipped with more sensors

                                                   i.      Becoming cheaper and more worth the installation

c.       This data can be utilized in more ways than just HVAC fault detection

                                                   i.      Smart grid

                                                 ii.      Demand response

Comments 

Nunes and group - You guys are looking into an interesting topic. I know that green and intelligent buildings are different but I'm interested to see their similarities. I'm also curious about different technologies used both currently and planned for the future for each type. 

Lee - I am in your shoes in that I have very limited Revit experience. I'll be very interested to see how difficult you found this project. At some point I'd like to familiarize myself a lot more with Revit so hopefully you can provide some advice to us novices by the time you're finished.

Sivertsen & Lavigne - Very good job in your initial planning, it seems as though you have a great sight as to what you want to do with this project. I've just recently begun to be exposed to databases, but I don't know too much about them yet. I'll be very interested to hear what you have to say.